Eldritch Horror

Searchers after horror haunt strange, far places. For them are the catacombs of Ptolemais, and the carven mausolea of the nightmare countries. They climb to the moonlit towers of ruined Rhine castles, and falter down black cobwebbed steps beneath the scattered stones of forgotten cities in Asia. The haunted wood and the desolate mountain are their shrines, and they linger around the sinister monoliths on uninhabited islands. –H.P. Lovecraft, The Picture in the House

An ancient evil is stirring. You are part of a team of unlikely heroes engaged in an international struggle to stop the gathering darkness. To do so, you’ll have to defeat foul monsters, travel to Other Worlds, and solve obscure mysteries surrounding this unspeakable horror. The effort may drain your sanity and cripple your body, but if you fail, the Ancient One will awaken and rain doom upon the known world.

Eldritch Horror is a cooperative game for one to eight players, based on the fiction of H.P. Lovecraft and inspired by the classic board game Arkham Horror. In Eldritch Horror, investigators travel the globe in an urgent quest to save the world from a diabolical, omnipotent Ancient One. With four different Ancient Ones, twelve investigators, numerous monsters, and hundreds of possible encounters, every game provides an unique and epic adventure.

Combat Ancient Evil on a Global Scale

With terror spreading across the globe, you and your fellow investigators will venture to the far corners of the world. From the snowcapped peaks of the Himalayas to the bustling streets of San Francisco, you and your group of investigators will travel to the world’s major cities, its most remote wildernesses, and everywhere in-between to prevent an impending global catastrophe...the awakening of an Ancient One whose arrival will cast the world into eternal darkness.

Every element of Eldritch Horror is designed to immerse you in its narrative theme of world-spanning horror and adventure. As the game unfolds, the narrative woven throughout each and every mechanic intensifies the pressure.

With tensions running high, and the fate of the world in your hands in these last, desperate days, the choices your group makes could have devastating consequences.

Even the components of Eldritch Horror add to the story and are designed to further immerse you in this epic, world-spanning adventure. From character sheets that resemble well-worn passports, tokens made to look like train and ocean liner tickets, and a board that displays a yellowed map of the world, Eldritch Horror weaves an engaging tale of a global odyssey to save civilization.

Hop a train from Shanghai to Istanbul, hire a witchdoctor in Buenos Aires, or stock up on holy water in Rome...just make your preparations count. You’ll need to work efficiently to defeat the horrors that await you. After all, with each passing day, an elder being of untold power draws closer to devouring our world. Only by solving three unique mysteries, represented by the tasks on Ancient One-specific Mystery cards, can your team of investigators save humanity and win the game!

Face Unimaginable Terrors at Every Turn

While the tasks on these Mystery cards (along with the locations of otherworldly gates, menacing monsters, and helpful clues) will often inform both your travel plans and the dangers you confront, you can find adventure anywhere in the world...even where you least expect it. It is during the Encounter Phase of each turn that players resolve combat or, alternatively, build their investigators’ personal stories by reading an encounter narrative from one of several types of Encounter cards. You might go head to head with a monster in Istanbul, or find yourself in a tough spot with the crime syndicate in a major city. Maybe you will embark on an expedition to the Pyramids, or research a clue you uncover in the unnamed wilderness. You may even find your way through a gate and explore a dimension beyond time and space.

Should you fail an encounter, the cost is steep. If you are fortunate, you will merely incur physical or mental trauma. However, you might also be compelled to take a Condition card, which represents a specific injury or restriction gained throughout your journey, such as a Leg Injury or Amnesia. You could find yourself getting in over your head to aquire assets and receive a Debt condition. Or, maybe you’ll owe a favor to something far more insidious than a debt collector, and enter into a Dark Pact! Whatever your condition, you would be wise to find a resolution with haste; many conditions have a “reckoning effect” which, if triggered, ensure a much more sinister fate.

All the while, the arrival of the Ancient One approaches. Its malign influence is manifested in Eldritch Horror as you draw Mythos Cards, which govern the appearance of otherworldly gates, fearsome monsters, and other ominous elements. Mythos cards keep your investigators under pressure, introducing new threats, even as the arrival of the Great Old One draws nearer! Since the investigators draw a new Mythos card each round, they’re certain to have their hands full battling foul creatures and following up on strange rumors, even as they work to solve their three all-important mysteries.

An Epic Experience, Each and Every Time

Eldritch Horror includes several features designed to ensure a unique experience each and every time you play. With over three hundred cards, you can be assured of amazing variety in encounters, Mythos effects, and more. And since each Ancient One has dedicated decks of Mystery and Research cards, you’ll not only select an Ancient One, you’ll select an entire style of play.

Further contributing to the game’s replayability, twelve intrepid investigators stand ready to defend the world from a threat that only they truly understand. Take the role of expedition leader Leo Anderson, influential actress Lola Hayes, or any of the included heroes. Since each investigator offers his or her own unique skills, starting assets, and approaches to winning, you’re sure to find a favorite persona for saving the world.

Want to customize your experience even further? Newer players may wish to stand against the Great Old Ones with less difficulty, while more experienced players may want an extra challenge. Eldritch Horror accommodates the needs of all types of players with its Mythos cards. With three levels of difficulty, the Mythos cards give you the option of making the game more or less challenging by removing the easier or more difficult cards when you build the Mythos deck.

You Must Fight Back

The way will be dangerous and the stakes have never been higher. The Ancient Ones are stirring, casting a shadow across the world. You must fight back. Gather your team, research the clues scattered around the globe, and solve the mysteries surrounding the Great Old Ones.

Venture across the high seas, or deep into the wild, to battle monsters, uncover ancient secrets, and gather dark knowledge as you work to prevent the coming catastrophe. The horror is here. The fate of our world is in your hands. Your journey begins now. Are you ready?